Kajol with producer Niranjan Iyengar

As her first short film Devi drops online today, Kajol on the joy of working with an all-women cast
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 2, 2020)

Kajol has often mentioned that Shah Rukh Khan and husband Ajay Devgn are her dream co-stars. But looks like her Devi co-stars may pip them to the distinction. The short film that drops online today has her sharing screen space with eight women actors, including Neha Dhupia and Shruti Haasan.

"When the script came my way, I thought it would be so much fun working with [eight] different women," says Kajol, adding that the movie — directed by Priyanka Banerjee and made for Large Short Films — drives home a powerful message about gender equality. "I loved the statement that the film is making. Also, it's such a joy to closely collaborate with so many women. Nobody discussed PMS at all on set," she grins.

In her 28-year career in Bollywood, Kajol has consistently made a case for women empowerment — be it by challenging the unrealistic standards of beauty that the industry holds the female actors to, or by busting the myth that heroines have a short shelf life. Ask her who she considers her inspiration, and she rattles off, "My mother [Tanuja]; whatever I am today is because of her teachings. My mother-in-law [Veena Devgan] has also played a crucial role, she has supported me in so many ways. And I consider my daughter [Nysa] my third 'devi' because of the magnitude of work that I do for her," she laughs.